Those of you who know me personally have probably heard that I relinquished a foster dog to the Champaign County Humane Society a couple of weeks ago. Patsy probably came from a back-yard breeder or puppy mill, most likely someone who was primarily concerned about making money. She was apparently sold to a guy who was interested in hunting ducks and rabbits for a while. But then he decided that he'd rather hunt quail and didn't need a Labrador retriever anymore. So he abandoned her at Kennelwood, a facility that does research using animals. The people there felt sorry for her and placed an adoption ad on Craigslist, and I offered to try to house her while we looked for an adoptive home for her.
Patsy was a sweet dog, though she was very energetic and it didn't seem like her owner had spent much time training her. Maybe it should have come as no surprise that he also hadn't gotten around to having her spayed and their were no vaccine tags adorning her lovely neck. She got distressed when I had to leave for any reason (like going to work), and leaving her alone in the house didn't seem like the best idea. It wasn't too clear how soon her next heat cycle might occur, and it occurred to me that leaving her in the back yard could also be tempting fate. So I looked into low-cost spaying, and it turned out that Champaign County Humane Society had temporarily discontinued their program and Animal Control would only do it if I was on public assistance. In the end, it turned out that since Patsy's owner had abandoned her and nobody else wanted her, the ownership defaulted to me and I could legally relinquish her to the CCHS. If she'd been considered a stray, it would have been worse since she would have had to go to Animal Control first.
She passed the tests and was spayed and put up for adoption at CCHS. I've been in to see her a few times since then, and have thought about applying for her. But I'm not sure whether I could make it work. The adoptions staff at CCHS is optimistic, and I really hope that she does find a good home. The whole situation has made me more frustrated with irresponsible breeders and idiot owners, which often go hand in hand.
The whole situation has made me more frustrated with irresponsible breeders and idiot owners, which often go hand in hand.
Many people do not view a dog as a family pet. A hunter wants a dog that can work a field, he doesn't really care if the dog has good table manners or stays off the couch. He's probably going to leave the dog in a kennel for the week and take it out on Saturday and Sunday morning to hunt. He's probably going to give the dog good care, especially if it can hunt, but he isn't going to make it a family pet. Doing that could affect the dog's drive. If the dog can't hunt, he is (hopefully) going to leave it at a shelter but may just turn it loose.
Sporting breeds can make wonderful, close companions, but it takes an incredible amount of work, especially if they are already adults. The energy and drive you noted, which are essential for hunting, can be redirected into obedience and agility. It can also be redirected into destructiveness, digging, climbing and escaping.
If you choose to adopt Patsy you will need to get her into a basic obedience class immediately. There are several very good ones in the area.
You should also expect significant veterinary bills over the course of her life. Depending on the quality of her breeding and her energy level she could be subject to eye, knee, elbow & hip injuries and problems, all of which are very expensive to diagnose and fix. One of our bed buffalo sporting dogs, who has an outstanding pedigree, recently tore a ligament in her knee, a fairly common injury, that cost $2000 to repair, while it was healing the additional strain on her other knee caused a ligament to tear in that one....
Also, if you have to leave the dog alone for 8 or more hours per day on a regular basis or if you don't have time to crate train the dog you probably should not adopt....
She looks like a real sweetie, I'm a sucker for a black dog or cat, but I understand that animals of that color are mostly overlooked by adopters...
Properly trained, a human can be a dog's best friend.
Properly trained, a human can be a dog's best friend.
Very well stated.
I'm feeling your pain. Got a boxer puppy a few mnoths ago, and he has destroyed our house. doesn't seem to repsond to training
SoB,
Great comments and insight, but I disagree with your characterization of how hunters treat their dogs. Mine have always been both de facto family members that are great with the kids and also excellent hunters. Those of my friends I would describe the same way. A hunter who leaves his dogs outside alone most of the time doesn't really understand a dog's innate desire to please its master and is actually harming the effectiveness of his dog in the field. That effectiveness is always bolstered by a closer bond between master and dog.
However, the problem you describe is actually most evident when a non-hunter wants to have a sporting breed dog and they don't understand why the animal behaves the way it does. Those problems are then further compounded when an uneducated owner doesn't take the time to accomplish obedience training. Dogs are just like simple computers: the results you get out of them are directly controlled by what is put into them.
Many people do not view a dog as a family pet. A hunter wants a dog that can work a field, he doesn't really care if the dog has good table manners or stays off the couch. He's probably going to leave the dog in a kennel for the week and take it out on Saturday and Sunday morning to hunt. He's probably going to give the dog good care, especially if it can hunt, but he isn't going to make it a family pet. Doing that could affect the dog's drive. If the dog can't hunt, he is (hopefully) going to leave it at a shelter but may just turn it loose.
Thanks for the information, but isn't just turning a dog loose illegal? I believe that it's considered cruelty to animals. It surprises me that people believe that making a retriever a family pet will destroy its drive - I've heard of hunters that do treat the dog as a member of the family and the dog makes a great hunter. In fact, Patsy might do well as a hunting dog but she shouldn't just be left in a kennel five days a week.
Sporting breeds can make wonderful, close companions, but it takes an incredible amount of work, especially if they are already adults. The energy and drive you noted, which are essential for hunting, can be redirected into obedience and agility. It can also be redirected into destructiveness, digging, climbing and escaping.
Yeah, she'd try to climb over the fence and follow me when I went to work. I think there are some separation anxiety issues too.
If you choose to adopt Patsy you will need to get her into a basic obedience class immediately. There are several very good ones in the area.
Yes, I'd definitely been looking into obedience classes. She's food-motivated and was already starting to learn "sit."
You should also expect significant veterinary bills over the course of her life. Depending on the quality of her breeding and her energy level she could be subject to eye, knee, elbow & hip injuries and problems, all of which are very expensive to diagnose and fix. One of our bed buffalo sporting dogs, who has an outstanding pedigree, recently tore a ligament in her knee, a fairly common injury, that cost $2000 to repair, while it was healing the additional strain on her other knee caused a ligament to tear in that one....
She's a Labrador retriever and seems to be in pretty good physical health. But you're right - if a dog has bad hip dysplasia or other serious problems, you could be looking at a choice between spending thousands of dollars to fix it or putting the dog down.
Also, if you have to leave the dog alone for 8 or more hours per day on a regular basis or if you don't have time to crate train the dog you probably should not adopt....
That's one of the potential show-stoppers for me - I live by myself and have a full-time job.
She looks like a real sweetie, I'm a sucker for a black dog or cat, but I understand that animals of that color are mostly overlooked by adopters...
Actually, she's chocolate brown. She is a pretty dog.
Properly trained, a human can be a dog's best friend.
Yes,
I'm feeling your pain. Got a boxer puppy a few mnoths ago, and he has destroyed our house. doesn't seem to repsond to training
Can you crate your puppy or put him outside when you're not there? That might reduce his opportunity to destroy things.
However, the problem you describe is actually most evident when a non-hunter wants to have a sporting breed dog and they don't understand why the animal behaves the way it does. Those problems are then further compounded when an uneducated owner doesn't take the time to accomplish obedience training. Dogs are just like simple computers: the results you get out of them are directly controlled by what is put into them.
I'm a non-hunter and was considering a retriever, but I know that they're typically a lot of work. Obedience training would be a must, and I'd hope to work toward Canine Good Citizen and possibly therapy dog certification so that the dog would have a "job." There's also a medium-high exercise need, and I'd been planning on dog park excursions, playdates with other energetic dogs, and walks. Is there any place in Champaign County that people can safely and legally take a dog swimming?
PB - Thank you for your comments regarding hunt dogs; however, in my experience with the sporting breed rescue I work with that is not always the case. Some hunters feel that the family bond interferes with the master/dog relationship by diminishing the loyalty of the dog to the master. I'm glad to know that is not always the case. I do not hunt myself, although my dogs come from long lines of JH & MH winners that like your dogs have been primarily family pets and secondarily hunters. It is true many people adopt a dog on looks alone without regard to what that dog's purpose is, and then have a difficult time dealing with various "behavior" problems, be it with a working dog, herding dog, or sporting dog.
Wayward,
Yes, turning a dog loose is illegal, but if there is no tattoo, microchip or tag how does one pursue the person who turned the dog loose? Happens all the time. Especially in rural areas at the end of bird season. We get them from Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana & Kentucky most frequently. You can also ask any animal control officer you run into and I bet they'll confirm it.
put him outside when you are not there?
In my opinion that is just bad advice. No dog should be left outside without supervision. This results in excessive barking, which is disturbing to neighbors. The dog could also get injured on something while outside unsupervised (get hung up on a fence, dig up a live wire, etc.). Crating is the only acceptable solution to leaving a dog alone unsupervised. In addition, people who fight dogs are constantly looking for bait dogs, a dog left outside unsupervised is just begging to be stolen. Doggie day care is another option, it can be rather expensive, but it also can be well worth the expense.
Here's hoping Patsy gets adopted soon!
Is there any place in Champaign County that people can safely and legally take a dog swimming?
Legally, no - Champaign County requires all dogs not confined to private property to be on a leash (not less than 6ft) held by a competent person.
However, I take my hounds out to Homer and let them swim and tree coons. Nobody cares, as long as you've got them under control in some way (e.g., long rope, e-collar, perfect voice commands - impossible with cold-nosed hounds). Oh, also keep the dogs away from fishermen - we don't like when someone's dog scares the fish away. And I don't like taking hooks out of noses.
it would have been worse since she would have had to go to Animal Control first.
At Champaign County Animal Control she would have been held for (at least) seven days as a stray then she probably would have been transfered to a rescue group or possibly to CCHS. I work with those folks alot and am familiar with what they do with adoptable dogs. Champaign County Animal Control has an adoption program for cats now but I'm not sure if they do dogs yet.
People are scum. We're not worthy of canine companionship.
Poor pooch.
At Champaign County Animal Control she would have been held for (at least) seven days as a stray then she probably would have been transfered to a rescue group or possibly to CCHS.
Yeah, I figured that getting her into CCHS directly would eliminate the Animal Control hold, and there would at least be volunteers that ensured that she was walked every day.
Some hunting breeds were bred to be both pets and hunting dogs, especially German pointers, both short haired and wire haired, and weimaraners. I have a weim who isn't a hunting dog and he's a great pet. He's a year and a half old male who has plenty of energy and has required a lot of training, including not to chase and hunt our two cats.
Good luck with Patsy.
Could a dog like Patsy be used for police work? She's a smart, energetic girl who'd be happiest doing stuff with people, and she might do well with search and rescue or drug detection.
would at least be volunteers that ensured that she was walked every day.
I've seen Animal Control staff excecising dogs in the field north and east of the Animal Control building. You made a good choice getting her in to CCHS though, definitely many more opportunities there.
I'm not sure about Police work, I know Jay Loschen at UPD has Scooby who is a lab or lab mix , I think Scooby is a drug dog. Patsy might make a good SAR dog too, depending on how good her nose is. My breed, which is primarily a gun-type dog, has had several trackers & one famous cadaver dog who specialized in water recovery.
I did not mean to come across as bashing hunters, but all of you have described dogs whose primary role is family pet and is secondarily a hunting dog. In the South, English Setters in particular are so over bred for hunting that there are large numbers of them in shelters. They are too hyper to be adopted out as family pets (irresponsible breeders) What I referred to was a dog that was purchased or bred only for hunting. It may not happen around here much but it is very prevalent in other areas of the country. In the breed I work with if you tell a breeder that you are looking for a hunting companion many will not let you have a puppy, if you tell them that primarily it will be a family pet that will be taken hunting, they will let you have a puppy. There is a difference.
You guys who hunt with your family pets are great, it gives the dog a wonderful taste of the purpose for which they were originally bred. Watching a dog run a field and catch the scent of a bird is a beautiful sight.
SoB,
My dog lives for the day the shotguns come out. He won't leave my side for the rest of week. When we hit the field, he goes non-stop until he just can't move any more. There have been days when I have to lift him up to put him back in the truck. And God forbid I miss a bird, he'll just sit down and give me this look that is worse than any withering look I ever got from my parents when I was growing up. He's a great partner.
The rest of the year, he's a super pal. The kids love him. The wife loves him. Even the cat plays with him.
>No dog should be left outside without supervision. This results in excessive barking, which is disturbing to neighbors.
Leaving a dog outside does NOT automatically result in excessive barking. For an untrained or poorly trained dog, it can lead to barking (especially so if the owners are idiots, and have no business having a dog).
However, a properly trained dog knows when to bark, and when not to bark.
This is very sad! She looks like such a sweetie.
Since I'm a dog lover, I can't resist getting in this discussion. .
I know that labs are energetic, but they really do calm down after a couple of years. Then they make great pets. They have tremendous personalities, particularly around kids. They seem to show endless patience.
This story reminds me of how I got my dog Sam, a Shepherd mix.
He was abandoned in the fall of 1984 in my apartment building when he was about three months old. He had been perfectly housebroken, but someone dumped him anyway. I'll never figure that out.
My wife found him running the hallway when she came in. Naturally, I invited him in, kept him for the night. I shouldn' t have given him milk to drink, but I did and it caused a stomach problem.
The next morning I carried him around the neighborhood looking for his owner. No luck there. Eventually, I boarded him with a vet near where I lived so I could go to work. He stayed there for several days while I tried to find him an owner. Finally, I convinced my mother in LItchfield to take him. That didn't work out, so a couple months later I drove to Litchfield to pick him up and bring Sam back to Champaign.
I took him to the humane society to turn him in since I couldn't keep him. It sickened me to do so, but I felt I had no choice. He wasn't adopted for a week or so. Finally, in a panic, I persuaded my co-worker John Foreman to take Sam for a few months to give me time to buy a house. I paid to adopt Sam from the humane society to which I had turned him in. Then Sam stayed for a few months with the Foreman family and their dog, Domino.
They were quite a pair and got into a bit of trouble from time to time. But eventually, my wife and I bought a house and provided Sam a permanent home. He was a great dog and lived to about 12 or 13 when he was stricken with an illness that required him to be euthanized. That was a rotten day.
Now I have a new dog, and she's great, too.
So I'm sympathetic to Patsy's plight. I hope it works out, and she gets the home she deserves. Whoever adopts her will be glad they did.
Leaving a dog outside does NOT automatically result in excessive barking.
I'm sorry, I should have qualified my statement to "leaving a dog outside unsupervised CAN result in excessive barking." It is true, there are many ways to keep a dog from barking - proper training, electric collars, citronella collars, etc. But I still maintain that no dog should be left outside while the owner is not home. That was the premise of the statement.
My dog lives for the day the shotguns come out. He won't leave my side for the rest of week. When we hit the field, he goes non-stop until he just can't move any more.
I'm on several dog breed/group email lists, there is this one guy who is quite knowledgeable about my breed and the history and evolution of it who claims that the "bird" drive (at least in upland bird dogs) is like an addiction to crack. He says studies (which I have not seen and cannot quote) show that the same area of the brain is affected by each.
Patsy was adopted today, apparently by a nice family who already has another dog to keep her company. Part of me will miss her, but I'm very happy for her.
Outstanding! You done a good thing! Our family has successfully fostered several dogs, some for months, I miss every one of them but I am joyful for them as they have found furever homes.
Actually, Champaign County Humane Society deserves most of the credit - they not only housed her for a few weeks, but also spayed, vaccinated, and wormed her.
Wonderful!
I just love happy endings.
Aww, wayward, you should get most of the credit - Patsy never would have found the shelter without your help. And now she is fully vetted and hopefully is fitting in well with her new family. In my book you've officially rescued a dog.
At any rate, this does derail my earlier plan to run Patsy for County Board.
Any chance that would have been District 5?
Any chance that would have been District 5?
Well, I live in 9 but CCHS seems to be in 5. Guess it'll depend on where her new family lives now. Last night, someone pointed out that since she's a hunting dog, she's probably a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. So it's not clear which ticket she should run on. Of course, there's some potential for scandal related to an incident where she took an excessive interest in someone's leg, but she's since been spayed. So hopefully that could be written off as youthful indiscretion.
"At any rate, this does derail my earlier plan to run Patsy for County Board."
Au contraire! Tom Kacich reported today "Pattsi Petrie" is a candidate in District 6. The spelling threw me at first, but I had never seen her write it herself. I wholeheartedly support Pattsi Petrie against Giraldo Rosales.